Friday, August 17, 2012

Parent Involvement Key to School Success

Springfield, Pa. – The author of the Parent’s Ultimate Education Guide believes active parent involvement raises a student’s academic performance. Yet school districts have witnessed a steady decline in parent participation. Gone are the days when a mother stayed at home to raise children and participate in school activities. Parents are happy when they are not called to the school regarding their son/daughters behavior. Something needs to be done to make parent involvement in K12 schools a high priority on their list of daily activities.
Parents need more information about how K12 education is changing. Most parents are not aware of the financial challenges that school systems are facing. Many schools are underfunded when compared to school districts within their own states. Parents can play a role in encouraging their local legislators to get involved in changing their states school funding formula.
What the educators are saying about parent involvement is true. Parents who read to their children early develop children who enjoy reading. Children are like sponges absorbing new knowledge at a tremendous rate. Today parents are too concerned about keeping their children entertained. Parents are great role models for their children’s love for learning. If the majority of the parent’s time is spent in front of the television then it becomes their child’s main source of information and learning. A student’s enthusiasm for learning should begin in the home then spreads to a child’s school instruction.
Some governors are saying we need more standardized tests to resolve the student achievement gap. Parent involvement is an alternative that costs fewer dollars to implement. The resources that are allocated for testing could be spent to increase the number of parent leaders who are in the schools. Some schools are finding ways to get parent’s involved in the daily activities of their schools. Parents who are involved can learn about instruction methods that other parents can use in the home. They are the catalyst to get parents who are not involved to volunteer for special projects.
Parents sometimes reflect on the bad experiences that they had when they were in K12 schools. Student achievement can be raised when parents know that their active participation will make a difference in their child’s learning capacity. Some parent’s are looking at their child’s achievement level to see if there are any differences. They need to know more about the benefits of looking at the value of education from a different perspective. Some parents do not know what a good education looks like. School administrators and teachers must continually advocate for increased communication with parents.
Some parents are raising the bar on their expectations for their student. They are often interested in identifying resources that will prepare their child for college. They participate in after school and weekend programs right along with their child. They sign up because of their belief that their program will serve us a link between high school and college.
The United States is steadily slipping in terms of its edge in graduating students from high schools, trade schools, and colleges. Starting a national campaign to help parents to understand their role in student achievement is a solution whose time has come. New and innovative organizations are needed. These organizations must take into account the changing trends in family structures. Parents are looking for solutions to the achievement gap. The solution lays in a combination of community and K12 schools working toward alternative education activities which are easily implemented in the home.
To be entered into a drawing for a free review copy of the Parent’s Ultimate Education Guide send your address Dr. Jones. Dr. Stephen Jones is education consultant author of three books the Parent's Ultimate Education Guide, Seven Secrets of How to Study and the Ultimate Scholarship Guide available at http://www.studyskills2u.com .

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I am currently the Associate Dean of Students in the College of Engineering at Villanova University. I am also CEO of SAJ Publishing Company. I have helped 1000's of students to graduate from high school and college. I am author of three books, "Seven Secrets of How to Study," the "Parent's Ultimate Education Guide" and the "Ultimate Scholarship Guide." My website is www.DrStephenJones.net